Don’t Stand So Close to Me is new Stanley Headwall M7+
Plus a list of 45 routes climbed over the past 45 years on the famous winter wall
The first routes climbed on the Stanley Headwall were back in the mid-1970s, by Scottish climber Bugs McKeith and friends. Over four decades later, climbers are still finding quality new lines to establish on the B.C. alpine mixed/ice wall on Stanley Peak.
Alik Berg and Uisdean Hawthorn have made the first ascent of Don’t Stand So Close to Me, a 90-metre M7+ WI3+ between An Ideal for Living and Ghost in the Machine. The first pitch is a 40-metre M7+ that climbs a pumpy crack into a lef-facing corner. The second climbs a steep corner and follow WI3+ ice to its end.
An Ideal For Living M6 WI5X 100m was first climbed by Raphael Slawinski and Scott Semple in 2007, during one of Slawinski’s most impressive winter mixed seasons. Ghost in the Machine M7 70m was added by Slawinski and Ian Welsted in November 2012.
Berg, one of Canada’s leading alpinisits, said about their new route: “Nice pumpy traditionally protected drytooling on the first pitch and a classy iced up corner on the second… It offers well protected traditional mixed climbing.”
The first ascent team carried pitons but didn’t place any. “In thinner conditions,” said Berg, “they may be helpful to protect thin ice on the second pitch.”
He noted that after having climbed Ghost in the Machine, that it’s “an excellent and underappreciated modern mixed route that is in excellent condition (bring some screws) and should see more traffic.”
Stanley Headwall Routes
Starting from left and moving right, but not in absolute correct order. A possible new route was climbed in March 2020 by Uisdean Hawthorn and Kurt Ross right of Nemesis, but no details are available. Watch a video of Tanja Schmitt, Heike Schmitt and Matthias Scherer on French Reality and Killer Pillar last winter below.
Two Steps WI2 45m, FA B. McKeith, C. Shank in February 1974
Nutbar M9- WI4 50m, FA R. Slawinski in December 2001
Distiller M9 30m, FA J. Buszowski, L. Roy in December 2004
Serial Driller M9 30m, FA J. Buszowski, L. Roy in December 2004
Rototiller M9 35m, FA S. Isaac in December 2004
Miller Swiller M10- 15m, FA S. Isaac and L. Roy in December 2002
Miracle Filler M9 30m, FA J. Buszowski, S. Isaac, L. Roy in December 2005
Fruit Cake M10- 20m, FA R. Slawinski in December 2001
Caterpillar M10 30m, FA J. Buszowski, S. Isaac. L. Roy in March 2006
Phyllis Diller M10, FA S. Isaac and D. Thomson in December 2001
Thriller M9- WI5, FA Isaac and D. Thomson in December 2000
Sinus Gully 5.6 WI3 75m, FA B. McKeith and J. Lauchlan in February 1974
Rhamnusia M8 WI6 160m, FA Isaac and Shawn Huisman in March 2006
Cosmic Debris M6 WI6 185m, FA M. Kadatz, J. Walsh in March 2017
Nemesis WI6 160m, FA Bugs McKeith et all in March 1974
Blind Eye M6 WI5R 170m, FA R. Slawinski, C. Geisler in March 1998
Ghost in the Machine M7 70m, FA I. Welsted, J. Walsh, R. Slawinski in November 2012
Don’t Stand So Close to Me M7+ WI3+ 90m, FA A. Berg, U. Hawthorn in November 2020
An Ideal For Living M6 WI5X 100m, FA R. Slawinski, S. Semple in 2007
General Malaise M6 WI5 90m, FA J. Gudjonson, S. Isaac, B Webster in April 2000
Fiasco M8- WI5 170m, FA S. Isaac, D. Thomson in February 1998
Teddy Bear’s Picnic M8 WI6 200m, FA S. Isaac, D. Thomson October 1997
Suffer Machine M7 WI5 200m, FA J. Everett, G. Reisenhofer in April 1991 / FFA J. Billings, R. Owens in November 2001
Pure Suffer WI6+ 200m, FA S. Isaac, D. Thomson in November 1996 (fully formed Suffer Machine)
Clucking M6 WI5 200m, FA R. Slawinski, E. Walsh in December 2006/7
Victoria’s Secret Deviation M7+ 50m, FA R. Slawinski in 2006/7
Uniform Queen 5.8 M7 WI5 170m, FA S. Isaac, D. Thomson in November 1997
The Sound and the Fury M7 WI5+ 90m, FA J. Relph, P. McSorley, T. Gruber in November 2004
Man Yoga M8 WI5 250m, FA J. Simms, J. Walsh in November 2011
God Delusion M8+ WI5+ 175m, FA J. Henriquez, R. Slawinski in January 2013
The Marijuana Meander WI5+ 320m, FA: K. Chambers and D. Hall ??
Acid Howl WI6+ 320m, FA S. Backes, J. Josephson in January 1993
Stairs and Flowers M8+ WI5+ 320m, FA E. Dumerac, R. Slawinski in January 2001
The Day After Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot M7 WI6 270m, FA F. Damilano, J. Josephson March 1994 FFA M. Collins, R. Slawinski in April 1997
Nightmare on Wolf Street M7+ WI6+ 175m, FA S. Isaac, D. Thomson, K. Allen in February1999
Dawn of the Dead M8+ WI6 140m, FA S. Isaac, D. Thomson in December 2006
Extreme Comfort 5.11R A3 WI6+R 180m, FA C. Anker, S. Backes, J. Josephson in April 1995
Comfort Queen M6R WI6 180m, FA I. Welsted, R. Slawinski in 2007
Drama Queen M7 WI6 170m, FA C. Brazeau, J. Simms, J. Walsh in January 2006
French Reality 5.8 WI6+ 150m, FA C. Blazy, F. Damilano, P. Pibarot in March 1992
French Fries WI5 75m, FA K. McNeill, D. Thomson December in 1995
French Toast M7 WI5R 150m, FA S. Isaac, D. Thomson in January 1998 (extension by I. Welsted, R. Slawinski)
Stairs and Flowers M8 WI5+ 200m, FA E. Dummerac, R. Slawinski in January 2001
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